New Job! and GRN Update.

Hi!

So in case you haven't already heard, I got the job with Suhr Guitars in Lake Elsinore, CA (about 30 minutes north of Temecula)! I've been there one week so far and it has been a huge answer to prayer in several ways. Mainly financially, but I'm also finding that I really enjoy the work and the environment. I am working in the marketing department with several others and I'm getting to do a lot of product photography and photoshop work. But it looks like I'll even get to do some audio work coming soon as well! It feels like the kind of job I've been searching for and I've received a lot of peace in the midst of chaotically learning so many new things. Many of my co-workers are believers as well, so some days we'll listen to Air1 while working. Needless to say, many things have lined up perfectly for this to work out, and I feel that it's right where God wants me for the time being.

Now, you may be thinking to yourselves, "That's great... but what happened to your work with Global Recordings Network?" Well, that's a good question. I still plan on volunteering there part time, but it's looking like it'll only be once a week or so. It was a great opportunity to be there full time and experience missions and how GRN operates, but as I neared the end of my time there, I began to realize that this type of office work was only something that I could do in small doses. As my finances wound down, I began looking for work, and the Lord blessed me with my current position just in time. I've taken that as a sign that I should switch gears a bit.

I know I say this a lot, but I sincerely I want to thank all of you for your prayers and support. I can't put into words how valuable it has been to me. In tough times of transition to a new life, far away from friends and family, having a prayer team brings so much comfort. May He bless you all abundantly in return for your prayers and support of Kingdom work!

Financial support/donations to my GRN account will be closed from here on out as I transition to a regular work-based support on my own. Again, I can't thank you all enough for your donations (one-time and monthly) This act of service would not have been possible without you, and because of your support toward GRN, there are now many more scripts available for people around the world to hear the Good News!

If you would like to continue to support Global Recordings Network on a more general basis you can visit this site: 
GRN Donations
or you can send a direct check to the USA office and note that you would like to donate to the general fund. The address is: 41823 Enterprise Circle North, Ste 200, Temecula CA 92590-5682


Ephesians 1:15-16
¹⁵ For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, ¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.


This is another cool passage I was reminded of recently:
Colossians 3:23-24
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Lord bless you all!

-Matt

Quick Christmas time update

Seasons greetings!

2012 has sure been one crazy year filled with many challenges, blessings and opportunities. I'd like to first fill you in on what's been happening in my life the past couple months after returning from Ecuador.

I am still working in the Global Recordings Network office full time as I look for a job in/near Temecula. I have one primary lead at the moment (a company called Suhr Guitars) with other applications sitting in various different inboxes. I don't want to get my hopes up too much, but I'll be sure to let  you know what happens with everything. I did receive a call just a couple days ago regarding my application with Suhr (which was an answer to prayer since I waited over a month to hear back) and they said they'd be getting back to me soon (which seemed positive). Please pray for me in this area.

This brings me to a quick financial update:

I know a handful of you may have questions regarding this, and at this point, it's looking like I have adequate support for the month of January. The reason I haven't made another push for support is because of my job search. I didn't want to start ramping things up in that area again if I would be shifting my support to a working situation.
I do want to continue to thank you all for your support and prayers. It has been a blessing beyond words, especially in transitional times such as these. So thank you!!

One final detail is that I'll likely be moving in the next few months since my roommate recently got married and his wife will be moving in with him, hopefully in February. I still need to find a relatively cheap place in town, so that is another prayer request.



The other thing I wanted to mention is that I am currently back in Oregon visiting for the holidays, and would love to see as many of you as possible. Unfortunately I do not have a vehicle of my own here, so I do apologize if that doesn't happen. I'd like to wish you all happy holidays just in case I don't get the chance to visit with you.


Praises:

• Finally hearing back about the possible job with Suhr Guitars in California
• Being able to spend time in Oregon for the holidays.
• Great support from loving friends and family both in California and Oregon.

Prayer:

• Finding work in California with a flexible enough schedule to continue volunteering at Global Recordings Network.
• Refreshing holiday visit in Oregon and the chance to catch up with as many friends and family as possible.
• Finding a new housing situation for when my roommate's wife moves in with him, hopefully in February.

God bless you all, and thank you so much again for your prayers and support! Have an amazing holiday season!

-Matt

Ecuador Update #2: Adventures, Return, Final Thoughts, Oregon Update and Praises and Prayer Requests and Pictures!

Hi again!

I know it's been a little while since I have posted an update, so let me bring you up to speed with some of the more recent happenings during my time in Ecuador, and then we'll move on to other updates:

Adventures:
Since my last update, much learning and hands on work has taken place in the classroom during the Spanish Recordist Training Class (or SRTC) and a lot of good bonding and relationships have been established. However, much of the team building aspect has taken place outside of the classroom on weekend adventures!

One of the most exciting things we got to experience was the Nate Saint house, which is the original building (with some renovations) in which he operated out of in his missionary days while reaching out to the Waorani tribe. It housed a small museum with old radios, photos, books and more in dedication to him and the four other missionaries that were killed by this tribal group. The movie "End of the Spear" is all about this event.

End of the Spear Wikipedia page for more information

The house also had a little gift shop where you could buy items for sale by the Waorani people. It was quite fascinating and probably the most important stop of the trip.

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Some other fun things we got to do included taking a cable car ride across a valley, over the highest waterfall in the Ecuadorian Andes (pictures below). There were individual zip lines across as well that you rode with a harness, and a couple of the people on our team tried that. I ended up playing it "safe" and sticking to just the cable car ride.

That same day we got to see another waterfall called pailon del diablo. It was really fun, as we hiked down into a valley and then climbed back up behind the waterfall through a series of really small little caves. It's a pretty wet experience, so pictures are few, but it was really a highlight for me.

In addition to these adventures, we also visited two of the larger towns nearby; Baños and Puyo. We mainly just did some shopping and walking around in these towns, as they are both pretty big tourist stops.

Overall, the weekends typically held some pretty fun adventures. Many of us were living in the building where the classes were held, so we were fairly antsy to get out whenever we could :)

Return:

I've finally made it back from Ecuador and am beginning to feel pretty well adjusted. Some of you may have seen that I got pretty sick right at the end of the trip, but God was very gracious and gave me a calm stomach while traveling. I'm almost 100% better now and I thank all of you for praying for me in that time of illness. God heard every word!

Overall, the trip went well. I learned a lot about what it looks like to be a recordist with Global Recordings Network, got to exercise my video skills quite a bit and just enjoyed being in a new part of the world for a month.

Of course challenges always arise with these new experiences, and adapting to the language was a bit difficult for me. I was hoping to learn a little more Spanish during my time there, but I made it through with a slightly expanded vocabulary and a few more phrases, so I'm fairly content with that.

The class seemed to have gone very well and the recordists felt like they were really learning a lot, so in that sense it was very successful. I was even able to capture several interviews with the recordists (in Spanish) so hopefully more can understand the life and needs of a recordist in these Spanish speaking areas.

Final Thoughts:
Prior to this trip, I had been evaluating my future and what it might look like. At this point I've decided that I'd like to take somewhat of a break from full time missions. Funds are beginning to run fairly low, so I've started looking for work in (and around) Temecula, so I could save up for my future and still volunteer part time with Global Recordings Network. I still love and support GRN, but have realized that full time office work isn't really what I want to be doing right now.


Oregon Update:
I know I had mentioned to many of you that I hoped to move back to Oregon after my time in Ecuador, but while I was there, I felt God telling me that He still had more for me in Temecula. As much as I miss all of my amazing Oregon friends and family, I feel like God wants me to keep moving forward here, rather than stepping back into something that I know is comfortable. I do hope to move back up to the NW eventually, but right now just isn't that time.

Praises and Prayer Requests:

• Praise: God's provision (housing, food, church) and some really great quiet time walks with Him
• Praise: Got a visit from my good friend Spud, who drove down this past weekend from Oregon to check out a music school and spend some time enjoying southern California.
• Prayer: My job situation as I apply and wait to hear back from different companies.
• Prayer: For the rest of the Ecuador team as they finish up their final week of recordist training classes and for safe travels home.
• Prayer: That I can find a good Bible study/small group through my church.

Thank you all so much for keeping up with me and my crazy life adventures! I covet your prayers and am so blessed to have such great family and friends who support me as I seek to follow the Lord.

In Him,
-Matt

And now, for a few pictures!

(Here's a link to all of my pictures if you're interested: Flickr)

 Interesting interracial stairs at the Saint House

The Waorani people make and sell different gift items at the Saint House 

The team at the Saint House 

Oh hi! 

Pailon Del Diablo stair case to view point 

Pailon Del Diablo Cascada 

Another view: Pailon Del Diablo

Gustavo and Ines' daughter Hannah at the restaurant at Pailon Del Diablo 

The team at lunch at Pailon Del Diablo 

Holey leaves

Agoyan Falls (tallest waterfall  in the Ecuadorian Andes)

Becca, Stacy, Tate and Osmani on the cable car ride 

Waiting for the car to return on the other side 

Sugar cane 

There were a ton of huge lightning/thunderstorms while we were there. I caught one!

Ecuador Update #1

Buenos dia mis amigo(a)s,

Last week (on thursday September 27th) we arrived in Shell, Ecuador for the Spanish recordist training course (or SRTC). Praise the Lord we made it safely and with all of our equipment. Each one of us had an additional large suitcase full of GRN equipment for the course, so there were many possibilities for problems, but God provided graciously in our travels. 

Thank you all so much for your prayers as they have certainly been needed and are definitely being heard! Various members of our team have gotten sick already so continue to pray for good health. We're slowly figuring out exactly how to operate efficiently in the space provided so prayer for that would be greatly appreciated as well.

Overall, it has been a good trip so far. I am living in the upstairs of the building in which we are having classes and I have four other roommates (two of which speak only Spanish). There are three women living in another room of the house as well who are taking the course. One speaks Spanish, another Portuguese and the other speaks several languages including English.

There isn't a lot to do in the town, but it is safe enough to walk around in the evenings and food is very cheap :) A bus ride into the next large town is only $0.25 so it's also pretty accessible. They use the same currency as the U.S. here which makes things a bit easier as well. It has been an adventure so far. We have weekends and evenings free so hopefully we'll be able to get out and do some sightseeing soon. When the clouds aren't too heavy, you can see the mountains off in the distance. I caught a glimpse of one of the most active volcanos in Ecuador the other day called Mt. Sangay. It really is an incredible sight. I got an ok photo of it that I'll include below, but hope to get a better one soon.

Please keep praying for:

-The students and teachers involved in the course

-Good health and for those who are currently sick to recover quickly

-Communication and patience with different language barriers

-For all the technology involved that it continues to work well, free of any glitches.

Thank you all again for your support and prayers! Stay tuned for more updates :)

In Him,

-Matt

Here are a few pictures from our trip so far :

(for more visit: Flickr Ecuador Trip )

Sangay Volcano 

We visited the Equator tourist stop in Quito while on our way down to Shell

Woven art outside of Equator gift shop

We were greeted by a rainbow on our way to Shell

Really neat suspension foot bridge in Shell

Airplane structure in a nearby park

River here in town

Ecuador in less than one week!

Hey all!

Just wanted to write a quick update letting you know what's been going on lately in my life.

Oregon Visit and possible next steps:

I had an amazing visit to Oregon filled with great times of catching up with friends and family, weddings, hiking, adventuring in downtown Portland, playing with my parent's new kitten and all kinds of other great experiences. The train ride from LAX to PDX was really enjoyable and I highly recommend it (even if it is a bit long). If you didn't already catch it, I made a video of my journey:

For those of you that I was able to see, it was a pleasure and blessing as always and I thank you for your time! For those of you that I wasn't able to see, I apologize, and I really hope to see you before too long.

If you haven't heard yet, it's looking like November will most likely be my last month working in the GRN USA office. My funds are running low and, even though I've been able to serve in many ways, I really don't feel like office work is what I need to be doing right now. So this trip to Ecuador will be my last big project with them (I'll add more on Ecuador later in this post).

There is a chance I may be moving back up to Oregon in mid to late November when I'm finished, but at this point, it doesn't make a lot of sense unless I have a job of some sort. I've also slightly considered working around here if I have to, so please be praying that God reveals part of His plan in all of this :)

Ecuador:

So a small group from the GRN USA office leave for Ecuador this upcoming Wednesday, September 26th and we could certainly use your prayers. We've been working diligently trying to get all of our gear tested and sorted for the trip and are quite excited for the Recordist Training Series that we will be a part of.

The Recordist Training Series that will take place while we are there is located in Shell, Ecuador and will take place for 6 weeks (though I'll only be there for 4) in order to update and train up recordists from around the world. They will be informed of new standards for creating GRN recordings and receive a bit of a refresher training session.

It will also be a time for many of us to meet new people working within the network and discuss any issues and concerns.

My Work in Ecuador will be to "film" (it's all digital now, but you know what I mean) much of the training series as well as capture some of Ecuador's natural beauty. I'm really looking forward to all of this, but at the same time am fairly nervous since it will be my first big video project. I've been doing a lot of research, but ultimately this is one area where I would love prayer for guidance while filming, a creative mind and good teamwork while communicating video ideas with our team.

Prayer Requests Recap:

• Pray that God reveals the next step for me in where He wants me to be working and investing my time
• Pray for the Recordist Training Series in Ecuador, that new recordists will be trained up well and that current recordists may benefit from the updated information.
• Pray for safe travels for all that are flying to Ecuador and for good health while on the trip.
• Pray that all equipment works flawlessly and that we don't forget anything :)
• Pray for any meetings that may occur over issues and concerns within GRN.
• Please pray for me for guidance while filming, for a creative mind and for good teamwork while communicating video ideas with our team.
• I'd also like prayer for an open mind while listening in on the recordist information, since this area of work is what interests me most about GRN (and has from the beginning). Pray that it may help me decide if this is what God has for my future or not.
• I'd also appreciate prayer for finding a job in November. Preferably in Oregon :)

Thank you all so much for your support, prayers and friendships! I know I've said it a thousand times by now, but it truly is invaluable to have such a great team backing me while I go through this journey. God bless!

-Matt

Future Plans, Ecuador, Oregon Visit, Praises and Prayer requests

Hey all!

I know it's been a little while now since I've posted an update, so I figured I'd toss some new thoughts and information your way.

Things have been rolling along quite well here in Temecula as I've been able to get my feet wet in a few different areas of service at GRN, as well as enjoying some time meeting new people and developing new friendships. God has certainly provided during my time here so far, and I'm sure He will continue to do so.

One of the things I've been pondering a lot since moving here is what God's direction might look like for my life, and what He has for me next. After a lot of thought and seeking council from various friends and family, I decided that a life in an office such as this is not where I feel led (though it has been a great way to serve temporarily). With that, I've been trying to decide exactly why God called me to this area: whether it was to just be exposed to missions in a different way, to prepare me for something else, to move me out of my comfort zone (and/or physical location)? Honestly, I'm still not sure, but I've still got a decent amount of time here for God to show me what He has next, and I've been given one opportunity in particular that should help reveal these things a bit quicker, which brings me to my next topic of discussion:

Ecuador:

I know, going into this experience we all (including myself) thought I would be spending some time in Australia. Well, things change pretty fast when you're a missionary and you have to go with the flow when opportunities arise.

There are several reasons why I've chosen to go on this trip to Ecuador instead of pursuing time in GRN's Australia office:

1. This trip is focused on a Recordist Training Series that GRN has put together for upcoming recordists (which was my initial interest when looking into this organization). So this should give me some good insight into whether I want to pursue that path or not.
2. I have been chosen to help videotape the training so that it can be made more accessible to future recordists. This should give me a nice creative outlet for a change.
3. The work that I will be doing there gets me out of the office (which I prefer), but if I choose to continue working with GRN in the future, it would also potentially prepare me for more "field" work. If I were to spend time in Australia, it would be preparing me more for a future in the office.
4. Financially it is much more reasonable for me to attend this trip.
5. Traveling :)

This trip will be approximately one month for me, from September 26th - October 24th. The rest of the team will be staying through the end of October, but I get to be back for a wedding here in Temecula on the 27th :)

***At this point in time, I am thinking the end of October might be when I start to transition back up to Oregon, hoping to find some kind of work in Portland. I'm certainly not writing off any sort of partnership with GRN and I will certainly always support them, but even if I do end up wanting to become a recordist in some other area of the world, I would still need to raise money and attend bible college for a year (a requirement for the position).

So right now, I'm looking towards a rainy, bicycle-friendly future (which I've oddly missed), at least for a little while as my current plan.***

Oregon Visit!

I'll admit I've had a bit of OSA (Oregon Separation Anxiety), but I am thrilled to say I'll be visiting from August 29th - September 8th for a good friend's wedding, and some family and friends time.

I'll be taking the Amtrak Coast Starlight up for the first time, which I'm very excited about, and will be flying back.

Praises and Prayer Requests:

• Praise: God is at work in His teachings and guiding
• Prayer: that I have an open mind and heart to where God wants me to be. I find that I'm a bit stubborn in my own ideas at times, so pray that I let God have His way.
• Prayer: direction for my future.
• Praise: I've been able to make a few good friends around here and am enjoying some great fellowship time with other members of my new church.
• Prayer: for joy and energy throughout some very tedious and (honestly) somewhat boring jobs in the office.
• Prayer: that God would prepare my heart and mind for the upcoming trip to Ecuador, and that I would be skillfully ready with videotaping. Also for travel and equipment logistics as others are putting everything together.
• Prayer: desire for time in the Word and prayer could use improvement.

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God bless you all! Thank you for your support and prayers!

-Matt 


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Thoughts from Washington DC

We're finally home from Washington DC!
It was a great week and a half trip and the Lord certainly used it in many different ways. I was personally very blessed and encouraged by the Florida team that we were able to serve alongside of and can confidently say I learned some new things about my role as a believer during my time working with them. It was also really nice to just get out of the office for a while, get to know my co-workers a bit better, and to see GRN materials really being put to use! Those things are powerful!

The team from Florida that we were working with were from Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg (and a few from Orlando), and are a joyful, encouraging and courageous group of young evangelistic believers. From them I learned what it looks like to always be prepared and willing to share one's faith:
1 Peter 3:15:
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"

As I was reflecting on what I had learned from this trip, I began to see some overlap with what I learned from my trip to Morocco in 2010. The concept in 1 Corinthians 12:20-27 is what specifically came to mind. It says:

20As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

This passage stood out to me because the teams on these short term trips always seem to be made up of a very diverse group of people with varying skill sets. God showed us how valuable each and every person's skills were to the overall big picture. One example of this was the Florida team and their excitement to street-witness to the people of DC. That's never been my cup of tea, but we were able to provide many recorded materials for them to use during their witnessing, which often made a big impact on the people being spoken to (especially when they didn't speak much english).

All in all it was a great trip... very hot and humid, but a great trip nonetheless.

And now, a few pictures for you all!

Most of these are of the sightseeing I did while I was there. Enjoy!

The GRN booth

Backside of the booth with the Capitol in the background

Me at the Capitol. We thought this was the front side at first, but then realized that the statue was facing the wrong direction for that to be right.

American Art Museum. The Smithsonian museums were our refuge from the hot, hot heat

Me at the Lincoln Memorial

Another shot of the Lincoln Memorial

Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have A Dream" speech here

Represent Oregonians

Washington Monument on the fourth of July

Me at the front of the Capitol building

The National Archives building and the Fourth of July parade

National Archives building. We got to see the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and Constitution later on after the fourth of July crowds had died down.

40 foot doors at the National Archives building

La Casa Blanca (aka, the White House)

The Smithsonian Castle

It was really cool to get to see Ford's Theatre! We didn't get to go inside, but it was still exciting.

Ford's Theatre

I'm not 100% positive this is the original one, but the American Art Museum had some incredible paintings, including the Van Gogh self portrait

The Old Post Office 

It was hot, and humid, and there were some really awesome lightning/thunder storms. There was even a warning call while we were in the National Archives, telling us to stay inside during the thunderstorms. Naturally, we went outside to check it out :)

I tried to get a shot of the lightning. This was the best I could do on my phone.